


Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous

by olgushka



Category: Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Musician!Tyler, Paparazzo!Josh, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2018-12-16 05:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11822022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olgushka/pseuds/olgushka
Summary: Tyler is a famous musician. Josh is a desperate paparazzo.





	1. Chapter 1

They’re sitting in a small café, at the table next to a giant window and Ashley keeps rambling without stopping, probably saying something about the next tour or the new album. _Whatever_. Tyler loves listening to her - he loves the way she can shoot the words out of her mouth like a machine gun and never lacks the air in her lungs - but this time, he's too distracted. 

He discreetly glances at the young man sitting outside on the bench on the other side of the road. _Of course_. He sighs and ruffles his hair, focusing on Ashley again. She smiles at him, waving her hands all over the place, almost knocking things off the table. There's a pile of papers in front of them, three pens, two phones, one untouched piece of an apple pie and two cups of cappuccino. The table looks like a mess and the waitress gives them a short disapproving look. 

Tyler turns his head again, searching for the guy. He's still in the same spot but this time he's holding a camera, pointing it straight at Tyler. When he notices Tyler staring at him, he puts the camera down and pretends like he just didn't take any photos. 

_I wish I was normal_. He thinks and suddenly there's silence. Ashley stops rambling.

„You are normal.” She says and he realizes he must have said it out loud. 

„I just wish I could go outside like any normal guy without being followed by photographers all the damn time.” He rubs his hands over his face.

Ashley frowns and looks around. 

„I can't see any photographers.”

„Look to your right. He's sitting on the bench across the road. Next to that big pot with red flowers.”

„The one wearing a grey beanie? He doesn't look like a paparazzo. He looks like a tourist.” She says and stabs her cake with a fork.

„He's been following me for weeks now. He's everywhere I go. I wouldn't forget that face.”

„Of course you wouldn't.” Ashley giggles.

„What does that even mean?”

„It's a cute face.”

„No. It's a _characteristic_ face. He looks kinda... Asian. And he's not really discreet with that neon hair dye.”

Ashley steals a look at the guy again: he's young, probably Tyler's age. A few locks of bright pink hair stick from underneath his beanie. He acts like everyone else, casually leaning his back against the bench and facing the sun with closed eyes. There's a camera in his lap but he doesn't look suspicious at all.

„I think you're paranoid.” Ashley says, taking a sip of her cappuccino. „Back to the topic! The US tour first. Then the Canadian tour.” She says, flicking through the documents. „Six shows in the main cities. Small venues. Meet and greet after every show for five people who put their best works for the art contest.” She continues, turning the page. „A month of a break and then we'd fly to South America. You're headlining a festival in Brazil so we could continue the tour from there and then fly to Europe.”

„Sure.” He mumbles and looks through the window again: the guy is not there anymore. Tyler scans the street but doesn't find him. He bites his lip. 

„Stop looking for another _fuck toy_ and focus on important things.” Ashley hisses impatiently. 

„W-what?” Tyler frowns. „Ash, stop. There are literally six months left before the album comes out and _nine_ before the US tour even starts.” He sighs and slumps back in his chair. 

„Yes. But I've known you long enough to know that I should book and confirm everything much earlier since you have a tendency to freak out whenever something is uncertain.” She says. „So please, drink your damn coffee, take a look at these documents and start being active in this discussion or I will make every decision myself and any of your words will not count later.”

He rolls his eyes but takes the paper that Ashley hands him.

 

Tyler Joseph loves and hates his life at the same time. He’s 28, rich and famous. He has everything he wants: his two records have gone platinum, he has fans all over the world and his singles always make it to the Top10 of the international charts. He lives in a huge house with five bedrooms, a garden with a swimming pool and drives a fast, shiny car. He's respected in the music industry - every single word he writes has the meaning, every note he plays on the piano is thought through. He's active during charity events, he visits kids in the hospitals, he reminds people to stay alive. 

Tyler’s life is perfect, yet he's extremely lonely. He doesn't have _friends_. Sure, he hangs out with many people all the time, goes out to the clubs and pubs, laughs along with the whole LA elite, has one night stands and sometimes brings strangers home. He barely remembers their names in the morning. With his lifestyle, he doesn't have time for serious relationships. He's chaotic, his _schedule_ is chaotic: traveling, recording and playing shows all the time. He loves his LA squad but they're not the type of friends to have a quiet movie night in. They're not the type of friends who would enjoy a spontaneous road trip, climbing the Hollywood hills or grabbing Taco Bell. They're not the type of friends who would just sit and listen when Tyler feels down, who would lie on the rooftop with him at two in the morning and watch shooting stars. 

He misses his best friends that he left behind eight years ago when he moved from Columbus to Los Angeles. He misses Mark, he misses Jenna, he misses his high school friends. He misses random phone calls in the middle of the night and discussing video games. He misses sleepovers, pillow fights, bonfire nights and getting random texts that would simply say: _good morning_ or _I miss you_ or _need a lift to school?_ He kept in touch with all of them for the first year of living in Los Angeles. Then, he got busy. He met new people and kept forgetting about replying to texts or calling back - he let the best friendships fade away. During his second year in LA, he changed his phone number and didn't even think about letting anyone know about it.

 

Tyler Joseph loves composing. He’s a multi-instrumentalist: he loves playing piano and ukulele, sometimes he picks up his bass or comes up with simple drum beats. During his days off he turns off his phone and locks himself in the home studio that he set up in the basement. 

He usually doesn't leave the studio from early mornings to late evenings. He takes short breaks to grab some snacks or empty his bladder but besides that, nothing else matters. The Earth could stop turning for all he cares.

During one of his trips around the house in the search for something to eat, he's startled by the knock on the door. It's definitely someone he knows because otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to get through the gate without knowing the access code. The knocking is followed by a doorbell. 

He sighs and shuffles barefoot to the front door. He doesn't expect anyone so he goes through the mental list of people who can be possibly standing on his doormat. Hardly anyone visits him without announcing themselves beforehand unless Ashley is too pissed off about him turning his phone off when she has something important to say. She doesn't understand the concept of _days off_. When something has to be done or talked through, days off don't exist.

He moves down the hallway, stuffing his mouth with a leftover brownie cake he found in the fridge. Ashley always brings him cakes - she loves cakes. She loves baking even more than eating them. He opens the door and chokes. 

„Zack?” Tyler swallows the piece of brownie with a great difficulty and takes a deep breath. He coughs a few times and wipes his eyes that immediately start to water. 

„Brother.”

Tyler looks him up and down. Zack is impatiently rocking on his heels, swaying his body back and forth, pushing his hands deep inside the pockets of his navy-blue hoodie. His hair is messy, eyes glassy and he sniffs every few seconds. 

„What are you doing here?”

„I have a favor to ask.” Zack smiles.

„No.”

„You don't even know what-”

„I perfectly know what you want and the answer is no.” Tyler glares at him.

Zack sets his lips in a thin line and his jaw twitches. He looks around like he admires the beauty of the garden and the perfection of freshly mowed grass but then he clears his throat and sets his eyes on Tyler again.

„Look, Tyler...”

„You promised you would stop.” Tyler hisses. 

„I will stop, I swear.” Zack says. „I just... The work is stressing me out and that Tatum bitch broke up with me last weekend, and I really need some distraction.”

„I don't have anything in the house.”

„Borrow me some money?”

„No.”

„Tyler, please.”

And just like that, Zack starts to cry. He stands on Tyler's doorstep and cries loudly, wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. Tyler knows this game too well - Zack has manipulated him like this too many times, making Tyler feel guilty, making Tyler feel obligated to _help_. 

Tyler knows this game too well, yet he grabs Zack by the shoulders and yanks him inside. He closes the door behind them and leads his brother through the house. He sits him down on the chair in the kitchen and watches his brother still sobbing and pleading.

„Zack, you're killing yourself.” Tyler speaks softly. 

„Tyler, please, please, _please_ , I need it, I need it.” Zack hiccups and bangs his head on the table a few times. 

„You _need_ to get help.”

„Tyler.” Zack moans. „I will, I will. Just... Please. One more time. One _last_ time. One last time and I will get my shit together.”

Tyler closes his eyes and breathes deeply. He rubs his hands over his face and nods sharply. He pushes one of the chairs close to the counter and climbs on the top of it. He opens the cabinet and reaches to the highest shelf, moving jars and boxes until he finds what he’s looking for. He takes out a tin tea container and climbs back down, opens it and spills the contents on the table in front of Zack. 

Among dozens of teabags, there's one tiny bag of a white powder. Before Tyler can say anything, Zack grabs it impatiently, throws everything else to the floor and jerks the bag open. He spills the powder on the table and forms two lines with his shaky fingers. He immediately leans down, presses his finger to one of his nostrils and inhales the cocaine with the other.

„I love you, brother.” Zack says, finishing the first line. 

„This is all I have.”

„It's fine. It's fine. You're the best.” The younger man inhales again.

Tyler feels like screaming. He watches his little brother doing cocaine in the middle of his kitchen and can't help but blame himself for his addiction because he was the one who offered Zack moving to LA after he graduated. When Zack complained about not having a job or working like a madman and not getting any decent money from it, Tyler was the first one to say: _You should come to Los Angeles, man. There's always something to do._

Zack agreed. Tyler helped him to get a job in a fancy bar in Hollywood and introduced him to his friends who introduced him the weed and drugs. They had a lot of fun: two brothers, best friends, having the time of their lives in the City Of Angels. But then Tyler got an ultimatum from the record label: he gets clean or they’re canceling the contract. 

Tyler gave up on drugs because music and purpose in creating were more important. Zack didn’t. He loved having fun, loved the adrenaline. Tyler never said a word until Zack found a girl, quit his job and disappeared for a few months. When he came back, he was a full-on cocaine addict, with no job and no money. So Tyler kept _lending_ him money and buying him cocaine because it was easier than watching his brother go through withdrawal symptoms.

 

Suddenly there's a flash of light coming from behind the window. They turn their heads and look at the sky but there's no chance that it was a lighting. The evening sky is clear. 

Tyler opens the window and bends over the window sill, looking around the garden. At the last second, he notices a person dressed in a dark green bomber jacket and a black snapback, who disappears behind the corner of his house. He can swear it was a man with pink hair.

„No fucking way.” He curses and shuts the window, rolling down the blinds.

„What?” Zack freezes.

„Stay here. Don't try to get out of the house.” Tyler instructs and leaves the kitchen.

„Why?”

„Do as I say!” He shouts. „Stay in the kitchen and don't go near the windows!”

Tyler runs through the hallway, all the way to the back door, feeling like a ticking bomb. He slips out of the house as quietly as he can and moves through the backyard, close to the wall. When he peeks around the corner of the garage, he sees the same guy who's been following him on the streets. 

The man doesn't see him, stepping backward and ducking under every window. He looks like he got lost and Tyler is not surprised – his garden is pretty big. He pushes himself off the wall and waits. When Pink Hair is close enough, Tyler fists the material of his jacket, spins him around and slams him hard against the brick wall. The guy lets out a loud moan of pain and squeezes his eyes shut. Tyler is sure that he hit his head. _Good._

„Who the hell are you?” Tyler hisses. „Why are you following me? Who do you work for?”

The guy tries to free himself but Tyler tightens his grip on the paparazzo's shoulders and pushes him against the wall again.

„Let me go!” 

„Who do you work for?” Tyler repeats.

„Please...”

Another slam against the wall.

„Answer!” 

„ _F &F_.”

„ _Fame & Fortune_?” Tyler snorts. „Oh man, not gonna happen. Show me the pictures.”

„W-what?” Pink Hair stutters.

„How many pictures did you take?”

„A few.”

„Delete them.”

„I can't- I need-”

„Right now. Delete the pictures or I'm calling the police and they will arrest you for breaking in.” Tyler says, still digging his nails in the other boy's shoulder.

„And I will tell them that you keep hard drugs in your house.” Pink Hair says challengingly.

Tyler squints his eyes and looks straight at the guy.

„They wouldn't believe you.”

„Why?”

„You're a paparazzo. Why would they believe someone who lives only for drama and gossips?”

„Pictures don't lie.”

Tyler sees red. He snatches the camera from the guy's neck and takes a few quick steps towards the swimming pool. He stops close to the edge, outstretches his arm and holds the expensive-looking camera above the surface. Pink Hair jogs after him but stops dead in his tracks when he understands what Tyler has in mind. 

They stare at each other for a few seconds. Tyler, flushed and furious. The guy, pale and terrified.

„What's your name?” Tyler speaks first.

„Josh.” Pink Hair says quietly.

„Look, _Josh_. Following me on the street is one thing. I can live with that, it's your job. But breaking into my property is a whole new level of being a son of a bitch.”

„It's not breaking in. I wasn't inside your house.”

Tyler loosens his grip on the strap and the camera flies down. Josh screams in panic but Tyler catches the strap again when the black Nikon swings dangerously close to the clear water, almost touching the surface.

„Please, don't...”

„Delete the pictures.” Tyler demands. „Or I will do it myself and _then_ I will drown your camera in my swimming pool for a good measure.”

„I need the money.” The guy whines. „I really need the money.”

„And I need you to fuck off.”

„You don't understand.” Josh shakes his head and starts talking quickly. „I'm not a professional photographer. I'm just a guy who got lucky. I took pictures of Madonna at the restaurant once and send to F&F and they called me back and gave me a camera and offered me this job. I was spying on Orlando Bloom once and I ended up in a club but he disappeared somewhere and then I saw you there, leaving with some girl and decided to take advantage of that. I started to follow you around, I found out where you lived.” Josh sighs. „Look, pictures of you are extremely wanted in the gossip world. I don't know why but you're like a freaking phenomenon in the whole celebrity world and it's really hard to get any embarrassing photos of you. My boss said that he would pay me twice as much if I ever caught you doing something scandalous. So when I saw that suspicious and stoned-looking guy going to your house, I couldn't let that chance go to waste.”

„How did you get in?”

„I jumped over the wall.”

„What!?” Tyler shouts. „The alarm is supposed to go off if anything like that happens!”

„Oh. I guess your security system is a big pile of crap then.” Josh shrugs.

Tyler pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand. He takes a few deep breaths to steady his heart. He looks up and stares at Josh again.

„Your last chance.” He says and pushes the camera in Josh's direction. „I'm not kidding. Either you delete the photos or I'm dropping your camera in the pool. Look, I don't care about other pictures, okay? I only want the ones of me and my br- my _buddy_ gone.” 

„Okay.” Josh says and steps closer reaching for his equipment.

„And don't try anything. If you try to escape, you will land in the swimming pool right after your stupid camera.”

The guy's face falls visibly and it looks like he's fighting an internal battle with himself. He nods and takes the camera from Tyler's hand. 

Tyler grabs his arm just above his elbow and Josh raises his eyebrows. 

„I meant what I said.” Tyler says. „Come on. Delete the pictures and I will let you go.”

Josh turns on his camera and starts deleting photos with Tyler looking carefully at his actions. His fingers are working quickly when he pushes the waste bin button. He hesitates when he's about to delete the last picture of Zack inhaling the cocaine but Tyler's grip on his arm tightens and Josh pushes the delete button once again.

„Good boy.” Tyler praises, clapping Josh in the shoulder. „See? That was easy.” Tyler smiles but then his face goes dark, he grabs the other boy’s shoulder and pushes him with a big force. 

Josh tries to save himself and flings his arms out to his sides desperately trying to catch his balance but his upper body leans too much forward and he lands face-first in the swimming pool causing a big splash. He goes underwater but quickly shows up above the surface, kicking his legs and taking a big gulp of air. He tries to keep his camera as high as he can without getting it any more wet, quickly swims to the edge, puts the camera aside and climbs out of the water with a loud cough. He's soaking wet and his hair sticks to his forehead. 

„Get the fuck out of here.” Tyler growls.

Josh fishes his snapback out of the water, stands up and backs off, looking at Tyler with a hurt expression on his face. Tyler can’t tell if the drops on his cheeks are tears or water dripping down from his hair. He spits, ruffles his pink locks and turns around without a word. He runs in the direction of the gate, jumps over it and disappears on the street.

Tyler throws his head back, looking at the sky. He composes himself and walks back inside. He finds Zack in the kitchen, sitting in the same spot, smoking. When the younger man sees him, he reaches his hand out and offers Tyler the pack of cigarettes. Tyler takes one and leans closer so Zack can light it up. Tyler inhales deeply, keeps his breath in for a few seconds and then exhales the smoke towards the ceiling. 

„I fucking hate LA, man.” He says in a cracking voice. 

„I feel you, brother. I feel you.” Zack agrees. „Can I crash here tonight?”

„Whatever.” Tyler mumbles putting the cigarette out and goes back to his studio.

He plays angry notes until he's too exhausted to keep going and falls asleep with his head propped on the piano frame. When he wakes up in the morning, Zack is long gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Tyler Joseph avoids scandals. Right after he signed a record deal with his label and got famous enough to start being recognizable, he got caught shit-faced drunk in one of the clubs kissing a guy in the bathroom. Someone even took a video of it. In a matter of hours, Perez Hilton named him the biggest manwhore of all times (not using these exact words but everyone could get the hint from the article Perez put right on the home page of his website). Tyler became more careful after that. 

He still tries to reduce being recognized in the streets to the minimum. He usually wears clothes much different from his normal style, hides under beanies, baseball caps and big dark sunglasses. Josh was right - it's hard to catch him in compromising situations. The only photos of him in the magazines are from official photoshoots and promo pictures. The best thing paparazzi can do is to snap a photo of him getting groceries or drinking coffee with Ashley, discussing business stuff. 

He works hard for the image. He can't sing about finding purpose and staying alive during a show and get caught getting drunk or smoking weed with his _squad_ the next day. Kids look up to him too much to let them down - the Internet is full of pictures of him smiling in his white Willy Wonka sunglasses, with flower crowns photoshopped in his hair. They call him their _smol bean_ , they tell each other to _protect him at all costs_. 

He loves it. He loves it and he knows he's a soft guy but at the same time, he can't make himself look like a weak innocent flower in the circle of his friends. They know he can handle drugs (although he's not allowed to take them anymore), they know he smokes weed like a professional stoner, they know he's not a light head. He wants them to see him like this, he doesn't want to lose their friendship because they're the only people who still want to hang out with him. He keeps them close because people from the industry, especially the same record label, should stick together. 

 

Tyler is definitely shocked when he gets a phone call from Brendon at 8:30 in the morning asking if he wants to grab breakfast in one of the cheapest and most quiet places in LA. 

Brendon Urie is the biggest party animal in the squad. He's tall, handsome and his vocal range is wider than the Pacific Ocean. _Wider than his forehead_ , Tyler thinks but never says it out loud because that would be rude. Besides, Brendon doesn't like jokes that involve his looks. He's too narcissistic and presumptuous to make fun of himself and Tyler snorts at the thought that if Brendon ever married someone, it would probably be his own mirror reflection. 

Brendon doesn't do early breakfasts or quiet lunch dates and Tyler can’t come up with any reason for this change. He gets to the address that the other man texted him, leaves his car in the tiny parking lot and enters the restaurant ten minutes after nine in the morning. The smell of freshly fried bacon hits his nostrils. The place is almost empty, there are only two occupied tables on the left, soft music keeps playing in the background and a woman in her 40s wipes the floor near the counter. She looks up at him and smiles, greeting him quietly. 

He didn't bother with any form of disguise this morning, yet no one attacks him, no one asks for a picture and no one yells at him to sign a napkin. He can _breathe_. He nods to the woman, sending her a warm smile and takes a few steps forward, spotting Brendon in the furthest corner of the cafe. He’s flipping mindlessly through thick pages of the menu, still wearing his sunglasses.

Tyler slides onto the chair on the opposite side of the table and tries to make himself comfortable. 

„Dude, are you sick or something?” Tyler asks. Brendon pushes his shades to the top of his head and looks at him with a frown. „This place? It's not you, man. What happened to the attention whoring 24/7?”

„Needed some change of the scenery.” Brendon mumbles and drops his eyes to the menu again. 

Tyler snatches the book from his hand and closes it, putting in on the table and covering it with his arms. The other man opens his mouth but Tyler is the first one to speak.

„Hello Brendon, good to see you. What a perfect weather, isn't it? How have you been? I'm good, thanks for asking.” 

Brendon sighs, props his elbows on the table and hides his face behind his hands. He seems stressed out and Tyler leans back in his chair, trying to figure out what's happening.

„Brendon?”

„Can we, like, order first?” Brendon says suddenly, taking the menu again. „I'm hungry.” 

They choose their meals and the table looks like it's breakfast for at least four more people: full of omelets, pancakes, bacon, eggs and coffee. In fact, it's only two of them and the food disappears in a few minutes. They’re both like human vacuum cleaners: they like to eat a lot and no food ever goes to waste. 

„Man, that was _something_.” Tyler says, pushing his empty plate aside and petting his stomach.

„I know, right? Best breakfast spot in the neighborhood.” 

The same woman who was wiping the floor earlier comes over and collects their plates. They chat with her for a moment while she pours more fresh coffee into their cups and Tyler promises to come back whenever he can. 

„So...” Tyler says when they're alone again. „Spill.”

„Has- Has Sarah called you recently?” Brendon asks with hesitation in his voice.

„No?” Tyler frowns. „We haven't talked for like, two weeks. I think. Why?”

„God... Tyler. Please. I need to talk to someone and you're like the only person that seems to be understanding and I need you to listen to me, I need someone who will listen and won't judge me.” Brendon says in one breath. „I'm going fucking crazy.” 

„What's going on?” Tyler asks, concerned.

„We had a party last week, right? The one you couldn't go to.”

„Yes?”

„Sarah made a move on me that night.” Brendon says and stares at his coffee. 

„Well, finally. She had a big fat crush on you since, like, forever.” Tyler smirks. „What did you say?”

„I turned her down.”

„You did _what_?”

„I told her I'm gay and she kinda freaked out.”

„You're... gay?” Tyler repeats dumbly and stares at the other man with wide eyes.

Brendon looks at Tyler and his breath hitches in his throat. He slowly pushes himself up from the chair and takes a step back, visibly shaking.

„Oh God, you're homophobic too, aren't you? Sorry, I will just-”

„Brendon.” Tyler says, reaches across the table and catches his wrist, pulling Brendon back down on the chair. „Sit. I'm not homophobic. Please, sit down. Breathe. You're safe with me.” Tyler releases Brendon's arm when he's sure the other man won't flee. „Now. Why do you think I'm homophobic _too_? What did Sarah say? What do you mean by saying she _freaked out_?”

„She started yelling at me. Called me a disgusting fag. Dallon texted me the next day and warned me not to get anywhere close to him.” Brendon tugs at his hair. „She's trying to turn everyone against me.”

„Unbelievable.” Tyler breathes out.

„If she calls you...”

„If she calls me, I will politely ask her to _fuck off_. She's not allowed to bully you just because you're gay.”

„When I was finally getting comfortable with who I am, she… She ruined it.” Brendon says. „I don't know what to do. If she continues to talk shit behind my back... it will ruin my reputation. Our group is slipping, Tyler. Sarah and Dallon turned out to be homophobic pigs, you don't hang out with us as much as you used to. Others will probably come up with some shitty excuses soon enough as well.”

„Well, I’ve been busy.” Tyler hesitates.

„That’s bullshit and we both know it. Ashley told us you’ve been sitting in your house doing absolutely nothing for the past few weeks. So I don’t understand why would you turn down every invitation to a party.”

Tyler opens his mouth but doesn’t really know what to say. He tries to come up with some clever and believable excuse but his brain shuts off and he can’t think of anything that Brendon would believe in. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. If Brendon decided to be honest with him, Tyler can be honest with Brendon as well.

„I- I don’t know.” He shrugs. „It just… Stopped being fun. I’m tired of pretending to be someone I’m not.” 

„Someone you’re not?” Brendon repeats.

„I don’t fit in our squad standards, Bren. Maybe I look like I do but I really don’t. I try to be cool, I try to look confident, I’m playing a sassy guy but at the end of the day, I lock myself in my bedroom and stare at the ceiling overthinking for hours because I miss Columbus, I miss my old _real_ friends and everything is exhausting. LA is exhausting. This life is exhausting. Pretending is _exhausting_.”

Brendon looks at him for a long moment with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he takes a deep breath, nods and gets up, petting his pockets. He walks away. _That’s it_ , Tyler thinks and rests his forehead on the table, _he probably hates me now_. 

But then someone pokes him in the shoulder and he looks up. Brendon stops next to him, holding two bowls of ice-cream. He offers one of them to Tyler and instead of sitting in his old spot, he sits on the chair next to him. He digs the spoon in his dessert and shoves a big piece into his mouth. Tyler stares at him blankly.

„What?” Brendon mumbles, still holding the spoon in his mouth. „Eat your ice-cream.”

„I’m really confused right now.” Tyler sighs but starts eating. 

„Yeah. You have no idea how confused _I am_ right now.” Brendon giggles. „I always knew there was something off about you. I knew it! I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Turns out we’re both sailing in the same boat.”

„What?” 

„Dude. Everything you said about playing cool and confident? I couldn’t picture it better.” 

„ _What_ -” Tyler’s jaw drops. „Brendon, _you_? Of all people? You? I can’t believe this.”

„I’m really awkward and dorky in real life.” Brendon drops his gaze to the bowl. „This...” He points a finger to himself. „This is just a mask. The image I created-” 

„-so people like you.” Tyler finishes and the other man nods. „Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

„Just promise me that you won’t abandon me after everything I said.”

„No way, you’re stuck with me now. So we can be _awkward together_ or something like that.”

„Thanks.” Brendon smiles. „Thank you, Tyler. Really. For being… normal. For not freaking out when I told you about, you know.”

„Freaking out would make me a hypocritical dickhead.” Tyler laughs.

„Hypo- what? So you’re…?”

„I'm bisexual, yes.”

„How did you- You’ve never said anything!"

„I have this strange ability to keep my private life _private_.”

Brendon laughs.

„You gotta teach me sometime, dude.”

 

Hanging out together becomes a regular thing after that. They get close and Tyler is not ashamed to call Brendon his best friend. They find out that they have a lot in common, enjoy the same things and like the same movies. Even if they’ve known each other for a long time, they only start to learn true things about each other. 

And just like that, they click. When Tyler finds out that Brendon stuffs his mouth with Nutella when he gets sad, he makes sure to keep at least three more jars in the kitchen cupboard in case of _emergency_. When Brendon finds out that Tyler likes to climb and stargaze because it inspires him to write songs and clears his mind, he gives him a spare key to the roof door of the fourteen-story apartment building he lives in, just so Tyler can climb there anytime he wants and do his thing. When Sarah finally calls to _talk about Brendon_ , Tyler argues with her for half an hour and yells like a madman until she hangs up and later, he sends her a long rude text message for a good measure. When some drunk guy tries to harass Tyler in the pub during their night out, Brendon punches him in the face. When Brendon can’t find the right piano note, Tyler is the first one to help. When Tyler has a hard time writing, Brendon comes up with the most ridiculous rhymes just to lift Tyler’s mood up. 

 

Brendon starts to spend more time in Tyler’s house than in his own apartment and Tyler doesn’t mind at all. So waking up to his best friend’s loud singing is nothing new anymore.

„ _Double bubble disco queen, headed to the guillotine..._ ” 

Tyler opens his eyes and looks at the clock on the wall. 9:14 in the morning. He groans and hides his head under the pillow to muffle the sounds. 

„ _Skin as cool as..._ ”

„Brendon...” Tyler mumbles.

„ _Skin as cool as…_ Goddamnit!” The other man’s voice thunders from the living room. „Steve McQueen! That’s good. _Skin as cool as Steve McQueen..._ ” 

Tyler sighs. He pushes the covers aside and sits up on the bed, snorting when another curse word leaves Brendon’s mouth. He yawns heavily and rubs his eyes. He grabs an empty glass from the bedside table on his way out of the bedroom and turns to the kitchen. He refills it with water and heads to the living room, stopping in the doorway and looking at Brendon who lies on his back, spread out like a starfish on the red carpet, holding a notebook and a pen, wearing nothing but boxers briefs. He hums a melody under his breath, biting the tip of the pen. 

„ _...let me be your killer king!_ ” Brendon sings and scribbles something in the notebook that he’s still holding right above his face. 

„It’s nine in the morning.” Tyler says, slowly sipping his water. „Couldn’t you wait at least one more hour before you started making those wild noises? I swear to God, we’re in Los Angeles but I bet that the echo of your voice just caused a massive avalanche in the Alps.”

„I woke up inspired. I couldn’t help it.” Brendon grins. „Hi.”

„Hi. Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Tyler asks and Brendon gives a negative answer. „I’ll make something then.” 

„Thanks, babe.” Brendon says and blows him a kiss. 

Tyler rolls his eyes and shakes his head but smiles, walking back to the kitchen. He’s in the middle of rummaging through the contains of his fridge when his phone dings announcing one new text message from Ashley.

_Hey, sleepyhead. Call me back as soon as you wake up. Make-A-Wish reached out. x_

He hits the call back button without hesitation.

„I can’t believe this! It’s not even ten in the morning and you’re awake?” Ashley’s voice greets him a moment later.

„Well, yeah. It happens sometimes.” He laughs, putting eggs and milk on the counter. „Hey, sunshine. What’s up?”

„There’s a teen who wishes to meet you.”

„Details?” He asks, balancing his phone between his cheek and shoulder, closing the fridge door. He finds the rest of the ingredients and starts preparing the pancake batter while listening to Ashley.

„Wait, let me find the… Oh, here it is. Chloe, age fifteen, diagnosed with, uhm, acute t-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in December last year. She has already gone through two rounds of chemotherapy and now, six months later, the tumor is nearly gone and the prognosis is positive. Since it’s still a life-threatening condition, she was eligible to receive a wish. An aspiring singer, songwriter, plays the piano and violin, loves Taco Bell. As you can see you have a lot in common. She’s currently in the hospital and wishes to meet you if you are – and here’s the actual quote – _not too busy_ , so she can _give you a hug and personally thank you for your music_. So, since you have nothing better to do, I thought we could make it happen, even sometime this week.”

„Great! I’m in.” Tyler grins, preheating the pan. „Friday?”

„Sure, I’ll call them back and ask to give us an hour or two with her.”

„A whole day.”

„What?”

„You heard me. A whole day.” He repeats. „Her wish is to meet me, my wish is to hang out with her for a whole day. Or at least as long as it’s possible.”

„Tyler...” Ashley doesn’t sound convinced.

„You said it yourself: her condition is still life-threatening.” He sighs, pouring the batter onto the pan. „Let’s give her something to remember. Call the hospital, ask her doctors if she can go outside for a few hours. I’ll take her out for ice-cream or cotton candy, or something like that. Even Taco Bell, if she’s allowed to eat that. A ride around the city. We can go to the ZOO or the cinema. Whatever makes her happy.” He says but doesn’t get a reply. He looks at the phone to make sure that the call is still going. „Ash? Are you still there?”

„Y-yeah, yeah.” She sniffs. „I am.”

„What is- Are you crying?” He frowns, flipping the pancake.

„I freaking knew I agreed to be your manager for a reason.” Ashley says proudly. 

„Oh. I’m just-” Tyler says but he’s interrupted by a loud singing. _I’m a killing spree in white, eyes like broken Christmas lights!_ „Shut the hell up for a second!” He yells, turning in the living room direction. „I’m on the phone!”

„What was that?” Ashley asks, confused.

„Brendon is writing another ridiculous song that makes absolutely no sense.” Tyler sighs, flipping another pancake. „Who let him in the music industry again?”

„Not me.” She giggles. „So… He stayed over _again_?”

„Yeah. We were drinking cider, listening to Sinatra and playing Jenga until, like, three in the morning.”

„Nice. Are you sure he’s not your boyfriend?”

„Oh my God.” Tyler rubs his hand over his face. „I’m not having this conversation with you again.” 

„Are these for me?” Brendon asks, walking into the kitchen a moment later and pointing to the plate with a stack of four pancakes. Tyler nods, putting another one on the top of the stack. „Thanks.” He kisses Tyler’s cheek and leans closer to the phone. „Hi, Ashley!”

„Hi, Tyler’s _boyfriend_!” Ashley yells back, straight into Tyler’s ear.

„I hate both of you.” Tyler groans, wiping the wetness from his face. „Call the hospital, call the foundation, call whoever you need to call and text me later, okay?”

„Aye, captain.”

„Thanks.” Tyler sighs and ends the call. 

He looks over to Brendon who searches through the cabinet with a frown but then smiles brightly when he finds maple syrup. He pours it over his pancakes and sits at the table, stabbing the first pancake with the fork and taking a big bite. He moans obnoxiously, mumbling something that sounds like _this is actual heaven_ and Tyler feels satisfied with the fact that his pancake-making skills are not completely rubbish. 

He puts two cups of coffee on the table and makes another five pancakes for himself, topping them with whipped cream and blueberries.

„Why does she keep calling me your boyfriend?” Brendon asks, mouth full of food.

„I don’t know. Maybe because you practically live here, your things are all over my house and we do almost everything together?” Tyler raises an eyebrow and takes a sip of his coffee. 

Brendon’s face falls, he stops chewing and puts his fork down, resting it against the edge of the plate. He drops his hands under the table and rubs them nervously against his thighs, avoiding Tyler’s gaze. 

„Uhm. Sorry.” He says and scratches the back of his neck. „I’m sorry, you’re right. This is too much. _I am_ too much. I didn’t want to be intrusive, I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. It’s just… You’re my best friend and I like spending time with you. But you’re probably sick of my presence already, uh, sorry. Sorry, Tyler. I’ll give you space, I’ll go back to my apartment.”

„Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on.” Tyler says, pointing his fork at Brendon. „I didn’t mean it like that, okay? Who said that you make me uncomfortable? Honestly, it’s the opposite. I feel very comfortable around you, I’ve never felt more comfortable around anyone since I moved to Los Angeles. And I’m glad that you spend so much time here. At least I have someone to talk to and someone to laugh along with. Please, stop overanalyzing everything Ashley says because she says a lot of silly things. You can sell your apartment and move in here, for all I care. I like having you around, so shut up and eat your pancakes. And smile, for God’s sake, because you look like I just run over your mother. Two times.” He sighs. „Brendon, I’m serious. You’re my best friend too. And this… This whole thing is great. And if you try to isolate yourself from me, I’ll find you and kick you in the balls.”

„Thank you.” Brendon laughs and finally locks his eyes with Tyler’s. „Thanks. You’re the best.”

„Obviously.” Tyler smirks and shoves another big piece of a pancake into his mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

When Friday finally comes, Tyler wakes up ten minutes to seven in the morning, long before his alarm clock goes off. He thinks about going back to sleep but decides otherwise and rolls out of the bed. It’s better this way, he doesn’t have to rush. He makes two French toasts for breakfast, drinks coffee and takes a long shower. The house is quiet, the absence of Brendon seems more annoying than dealing with his hyperactive nature every day. He thinks of dressing up fancier than usually but then remembers that he’s visiting a teenager - not the President of the United States - so he chooses a simple outfit: black skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt. 

He’s supposed to meet Ashley in the hospital lobby at 10, so when the clock turns 9:30, he grabs his ukulele, wallet, phone and the car key. He finishes tying his shoelaces when he hears a car pulling up in his driveway. He peeks through the small window in the hallway and can’t help but roll his eyes at the sight. He opens the door when his personal bodyguard gets out of the car.

„What are you doing here?” He asks, harsher than he intends to.

„I was told to escort you to the hospital for your meeting.” Michael says, leaning against the black SUV with tinted windows.

„ _Escort_ me?” Tyler snorts.

„Yes.”

„Absolutely not.” He says, turning the key in the front door. 

„I need to follow the instructions.”

„You’re supposed to follow _my_ instructions and my instructions are: go back home and enjoy your time off.” Tyler hops off the stairs that lead to his front door and makes his way to his own car. „I’m a big boy, I can manage.”

„But-”

„It was Ashley’s idea, wasn’t it?” 

„Yes.” Michael admits. 

„She’s overprotective. I’ll be fine, it’s a twenty-minute drive from here. It’s not like I’m gonna get kidnapped or abducted by aliens on my way there.” 

Tyler unlocks his car and slides into the driver’s seat. He places the ukulele on the passenger’s seat, pushes the sunglasses up his nose, buckles up and puts the key into the ignition. He starts the engine, rolling the window down.

„I’m supposed to accompany you throughout the day!” Michael shouts when Tyler backs out of the driveway onto the street.

„I’ll be fine!” Tyler shouts back. „Believe me, I’m less visible alone than with you following me everywhere. You’re not exactly... small.” Tyler winks, waves his hand and drives off in the direction of the hospital.

 

The ride is short and easy, he manages to avoid the traffic and pull into the parking lot on time. He takes a short walk to the main entrance of the hospital, humming a song he heard on the radio. When he walks into the lobby, he notices that Ashley is already there, supporting her elbow on the top of the information desk and drumming her fingers against the dark wood. She chats with one of the receptionists, waving her other hand around like she always does when she explains something. She’s wearing her favorite red high heels and Tyler is still impressed with the fact that she’s able to walk in them so easily. 

When Ashley finally spots him with the corner of the eye, she stands up straight and crosses her arms over her chest, giving him a disapproving look and tapping her feet. Before he can say a single word of greeting, she takes a step forward and starts speaking in a hushed voice.

„I know you’re not fond of having security following you around and you don’t really like to listen to me but for _once_ in your life you could, you know? It’s for your own safety. And Michael doesn’t get paid for doing nothing.”

„Hello to you too.” He smiles, completely ignoring her frustration and kisses her cheek. „So, what’s the plan?”

„ _Tyler_.” She says firmly, making him roll his eyes. 

He grabs her by the upper arm and drags her to the side.

„Ash, don’t be ridiculous.” He sighs. „I go shopping _alone_. I drive around the city _alone_. I do most of the things _alone_ and nothing bad has ever happened so what’s different about this time? It’s not like a bunch of cancer patients will jump on me and kill me with their IV stands.”

„No, but it doesn’t take long for someone to spread a word around and for a horde of wild fans to appear here.” She hisses. „This is a hospital, Tyler. Not a festival field.”

„I know that. But I also know that I’m able to blend into the crowd when it’s needed. It’s more difficult with Michael being around. He’s like, two times bigger than me. Besides, he has a kid now. He should spend more time with his family instead of senselessly following me around when you perfectly know that I can handle things myself.” He says. „Let’s not create a problem out of nothing, alright? If the things get out of hand, although I really doubt it, you’re allowed to call whoever you want but for now, let’s relax. Deal?”

She hesitates but finally exhales and nods her head.

„Okay.”

„Great.” He smiles brightly. „So? Are we waiting for someone else or…?”

„Yes, we’re waiting for Chloe’s mother. She will take us to her room. Chloe doesn’t really know that she's meeting you today so it’s a surprise. I talked to the doctors and they said that she can’t really leave the hospital for too long due to the infection she had two weeks ago but since the weather is nice, we were allowed to arrange a small picnic for you in the garden. A group of volunteers from the foundation is currently setting everything up.”

„Sounds awesome.”

He sits down on the plastic chair and pulls his phone out of the pocket of his jeans. He replies to the text he got from Brendon a few minutes ago and then mutes the sound, deciding that no one is allowed to bother him today. When he looks up again, the elevator door on the other side of the lobby opens and something catches his attention. Or rather _someone_. He wouldn’t even pay attention to them if it wasn’t for their bubbly pink hair. He’s taken aback when he recognizes the familiar face. It’s Josh, wearing a pair of loose sweatpants and a t-shirt that probably hasn’t seen the washing machine in weeks. His hair is messy, face pale and there are dark circles under his eyes. He looks tired. He's holding his phone in one hand and a pack of cigarettes in the other. He quickly leaves the hospital and disappears behind the door. 

Tyler gets curious. His first thought is to sneak out and follow the guy but then someone says his name and he looks up to see Ashley and another woman standing right next to him. He blinks quickly, trying to snap out of his little trance.

„Tyler, this is Rebecca, Chloe’s mom.”

„Oh. Hi.” He says, standing up. He extends his hand and Rebecca shakes it politely. „Hi. I’m Tyler. Tyler Joseph.”

„Rebecca Hampton. Nice to meet you, Mr. Joseph.”

„Just _Tyler_ , please.”

„I guess we should get going?” Ashley suggests.

„Of course.” He agrees and smiles at the other woman. „Please, lead the way.” 

They step into the same elevator that Josh left a few minutes earlier and Rebecca pushes the button to the fourth floor. Before the door closes, Tyler glances in the direction of the main entrance again but Josh is nowhere to be seen. 

„Chloe will be so thrilled.” The woman says nervously, breaking the silence. 

„So... She doesn’t know she’s meeting me?”

„She knows she’s having a visitor today but she doesn’t know it’s you. I’m a bad liar but I managed to convince her that it’s her cousin who flew here from Australia.”

The elevator dings and the door opens. Rebecca leads them through the Pediatric Oncology Unit until they reach the room number 17 situated at the end of the long pastel-yellow hallway. She steps into the room first, announcing the guests. Tyler and Ashley follow her and soon enough, they stop in the middle of a spacious and functional room. There are two beds, although one of them looks unoccupied. Chloe sits on the edge of the other one, with legs dangling loosely off of the mattress, staring at her arm when the young nurse checks her catheter. She finally looks at the guests and locks her eyes with Tyler. He smiles and waves his hand at her, not saying a word. The room is quiet and the only source of the sound comes from the nurse who focuses on collecting empty bags and used syringes on a metal tray.

„You don’t look like my Australian cousin at all.” Chloe says eventually, breaking the silence.

Tyler looks down at himself and shrugs.

„I guess I’ve been working out?” 

„He doesn’t play the ukulele.” She points to the tiny instrument that he’s been holding in his hand the whole time.

„It’s my newest hobby.” He replies. „I’ve been learning for months, just to play for you.”

„You kinda look like Tyler Joseph, to be honest.”

„Lots of plastic surgeries. You like that?” He spins around and bows down.

There is a quiet laugh behind his back and Tyler knows that Ashley is slowly losing it. 

„Yup, I think I’ve finally lost my mind.” Chloe says and looks back at the nurse who picks up an empty IV container. „Sue, are those meds suppose to make me hallucinate?”

„I’m pretty sure they’re not.” The nurse laughs.

„So you’re saying that there’s a real Tyler Joseph standing in my room right now?”

„It seems like it.” Sue nods, picks up the tray and leaves the room.

„ _Holy shit_.”

„Chloe!” Rebecca gasps. „Language!”

„Who cares about the language, mom? There’s Tyler Joseph in my room. What the _hell_ Tyler freaking Joseph is doing in. my. room?” She asks seriously.

„I’m all about the hugs so I’m here for the hugs.” Tyler smiles. „Can I get a hug?” He asks and makes an innocent face. When Chloe nods in approval, he comes closer to the bed, puts the ukulele on the top of the sheets and embraces her in a long, warm hug. „Hi.” He says straight into her ear and rubs her back before pulling off. He leans back but keeps his hands on her shoulders and looks her in the eyes.

„ _Holy shit_.” Chloe whispers again and jumps forward, pulling him into another hug. „ _Holy shit_. What the hell.” 

„You made a wish. This is your wish coming true.” Rebecca says, smiling at her daughter.

„How is this even possible?” The teenager asks, not letting go of Tyler. He only smiles down on her, reaching up to pet her hair. „I’ve made that wish and no one ever got back to us.”

„They did. I just didn’t want to tell you. I wanted to surprise you.”

„Oh, mom! I love you so much! I would hug you but he smells too good so I’m not letting him go until he needs to leave.” 

Tyler laughs, embracing her even tighter. She doesn’t seem to be intimidated by him unlike most of the fans he meets. She’s brave and mouthy and he already loves it about her. 

„Actually, I’m not leaving anytime soon. And there might be another surprise waiting for you.” He says, not being able to stop smiling. He turns to his manager, looking at her and mouthing: _are we ready?_ Ashley nods, pointing a finger to her phone and then giving him a thumb up. „Would you like to take a walk to the garden with me, miss Chloe?” Tyler asks, pulling away from the hug and offering his arm instead. 

Chloe slips her hand in the crook of Tyler’s elbow, giggling quietly. He grabs his ukulele and leads her out of the room. They walk through the ward, all the way to the elevator with Ashley and Rebecca hot on their heels. 

„I’ve never been out there before.” Chloe states when they reach the back door leading to the garden and step outside. „I don’t even know what- Oh. Oh, _wow_.”

 _Oh, this is nice_ , Tyler thinks, looking around. The hospital garden is a large, quiet place. There are high trees planted tightly along the wall, separating the area from the loud noises of the city. The view is dominated by colorful flowers and rose bushes blooming outside the lawn area, and the concrete walkways are lined by smaller trees. There are many shaded places to sit and walk, a pond with a wooden bridge in the middle and a small fountain surrounded by abstract sculptures. The garden is full of benches and lightweight furniture that patients can easily move into the shade or sun. The sight of squirrels chasing each other across the lawn and spiraling down tree trunks seems natural and the soothing sound of birds singing creates a perfect background with calming effect.

Their picnic spot is arranged in one of the furthest corners of the garden, under a big branchy oak tree. There’s a plain red blanket spread in the shadow, contrasting with the green grass and two picnic baskets filled with many snacks and different drinks. There’s a bundle of colorful helium-filled balloons tied to each corner of the blanket. 

Chloe’s eyes widen at the sight. 

„This is sick!” She says in awe, sitting down on the blanket.

„So sick.” Tyler agrees, putting his ukulele down. „It’s a date.”

„I really hoped it would be.” The girl says cheerfully, peeking inside one of the baskets.

Tyler chuckles, glancing over his shoulder.

„Ashley, this is a date.” 

„Okay.” 

„A _date_.” He repeats firmly.

„Yeah, I heard you- Oh! Oh.” Ashley looks at him with the sudden realization. „Is this a hint for me to leave?”

„Yes. We don’t need any third wheeling here, during our _date_.” Tyler says and sits cross-legged on the blanket next to Chloe. 

„Ungrateful, cocky celebrities will be the death of me, I swear to God.” Ashley sighs, turning to Rebecca. „Well, since they all set and comfortable, would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?”

„Of course.” Chloe’s mom agrees with a smile. „But… Mr. Jos- I mean, _Tyler_ , just be careful, okay? There are nurses everywhere and people from the foundation will be wandering around the garden as well. If anything happens - if Chloe feels worse, please, call for someone.”

„You don’t have to worry. She’s in good hands.”

„Thank you.” Rebecca smiles and lets Ashley lead them back to the hospital.

Tyler waits until they both disappear inside the building, then smiles widely, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. 

„Okay! Let’s see what we’ve got here.” He says, opening the basket and taking out the items. „Plates! Forks, knives, napkins, cups...”

„Strawberries.” Chloe says, looking inside another basket. „Blueberries and sliced up watermelon.”

„Pink lemonade. And whipped cream.” Tyler continues. „And mini sandwiches.”

„Chocolate coated hazelnuts.”

„Seriously?” Tyler looks up. „I love those.”

„There’s more. I have sprinkle-dipped marshmallow pops.”

„Oh. Not a big fan of marshmallows.”

„Really?” Chloe scoffs. „You suck. More for me, thanks. Breadsticks and a jar of Nutella.”

„Don’t say _Nutella_ out loud, it might summon Brendon.”

„Brendon? Brendon Urie? I like his band. And his music. It’s weird. But I like it.”

„ _Weird_ is a good way of putting it.”

The conversation flows smoothly after inspecting the contents of both baskets. They talk about friends, school, life, music, favorite movies and eventually, Tyler asks Chloe about her condition. At first, he wants to take it back, afraid that the topic will make her sad or uncomfortable but she only shrugs and explains her illness without any stutter. Her optimism is contagious and the smile never leaves her face even when she's talking about her life-threating tumor while stuffing her mouth with fresh, bloody-red strawberries. 

He watches her, admiring how strong she is. He can't help but ask: how?

„I don't know.” She says, wiping her hands with a piece of a paper towel. „You can't- You can't just sit and wait for death. Well, I had such plan once I found out how serious the illness was but then I had this weird epiphany, like, _what am I even doing_? I'm fifteen, I'm a teenager, there are so many fun things to do so why should I miss doing any of them? So one day I just stood in front of my mirror and said: _if you want to bring me down, you will have to try harder_ and then between visits in the hospital and feeling like crap most of the time, I just continued living.” Chloe smiles. „I have my parents and my friends. And my therapist, she helps a lot too. Having support helps. I wish more kids got the help they deserve.”

„You're so amazing.” Tyler says and pulls her into another hug. He didn't lie when he said he's all about the hugs. He loves human touch although he never really lets it show. He feels himself slowly tearing up so he grabs his ukulele and runs his fingers over the strings. „Let's write a song!” He announces in desperate need for the mood change.

„Cool. But let's skip singing about the meaning of life.”

„Okay. What do you want to sing about?”

„Something easy. And funny. I don't know!”

„Maybe something we both like?” Tyler suggests.

„Like what?” Chloe glances at him suspiciously. „Taco Bell?”

„Oh. Sure!” Tyler smirks. „Let me think… _Nacho bell grande, cheesy gordita_...” He starts singing. „ _I like your nachos like_ -, uhm...”

„- _diarrhea_.” The girl finishes, making Tyler throw his head back and laugh loudly. He puts the ukulele aside and lies down on his back.

„It doesn’t even rhyme!”

„It does!”

„Well, okay. It kinda does.”

„ _Man, I really like Taco Bell!_ ” Chloe sings.

Soon, they’re both laughing like mad people, lying on the blanket side to side and coming up with even more ridiculous lines. Tyler names the song _Ode to Taco Bell_ but Chloe insists on changing the title to _Taco Bell Saga_. During this short amount of time spent with her, Tyler feels like a teenager again. He’s free, he can act ridiculous, he doesn’t have to pretend. He’s having fun. It doesn’t even feel like Chloe is a fan anymore – he looks at her and sees an old friend, someone who makes him feel comfortable in his own skin. 

The laughter dies in his throat once he sits up again and focuses his gaze on the entrance to the hospital. He notices Josh, leaving the building and walking down the path that leads in their direction, balancing his phone between his ear and shoulder, simultaneously trying to light up a cigarette. Tyler swallows hard, fighting the urge to get up and run. The pink haired guy comes even closer but doesn’t acknowledge Tyler’s presence a few feet away from him. He takes an abrupt turn and starts walking back, raising his voice and almost screaming at the person on the other side of the line. He’s annoyed and stressed out, Tyler can see it in the way his hands shake when Josh lifts the cigarette to his lips. He quickly finishes it, exhales the smoke and throws the cigarette butt onto the ground, not even bothering with finding a waste bin.

„Rude.” Chloe’s voice reaches his ears and Tyler finally snaps back into reality, glancing at her over his shoulder. 

„W-What?”

„We’re on a _date_ and you’re totally checking this guy out.”

„I’m not checking him out.” He mumbles. „I just… I know him.”

„Well, go say hi then.”

„No, we… We’re not exactly friends.”

Suddenly, a loud _fuck you, asshole!_ pierces the air and everyone’s heads turn into Josh’s direction. He looks even more pissed off than before, angrily shoving his phone into the pocket of his jeans and quickly marching to the building, almost bumping into a confused nurse. 

„He’s not a patient.” Chloe says, scooping out another spoonful of Nutella.

„Huh? How do you know?”

„He doesn’t have the identification wristband.” She lifts her arm and shows Tyler a white bracelet on her wrist. „If he was a patient, he would have to wear one.”

„Oh.”

Tyler furrows his brows. _If he’s not a patient, what the hell is he doing here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I've always wanted to use _Taco Bell Saga_ in one of my stories, so this is like a dream coming true.  
>  2) I should be banned from writing slow burns.  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

Tyler Joseph has never liked dogs. Ever since he was a little kid, getting too close to any dog provoked an immediate anxiety response, making him cry and hide behind his mother’s legs. Seeing one, even from the distance, made him freeze up and hyperventilate. No one really knew why he started to react like that in the first place. 

His fear increased to the maximum after he got bitten in the leg by a Rottweiler when he was twelve years old after he jumped over the fence to his neighbor’s backyard to find the ball that Zack accidentally threw over during their lame attempt to play basketball without knowing the rules. Tyler wasn’t even aware of the fact that his neighbor owns a dog until he stood face to face with a large, angry monster. There’s still a white, irregularly shaped scar on the outer side of his right thigh where the sharp teeth ripped into the flesh, reminding him how much he hates those four-legged creatures. 

Sixteen years later, his body still goes into a full-on panic mode whenever a dog gets too close to him (no matter if it’s a huge, fluffy Tibetan Mastiff or a tiny, shaky Chihuahua), even if he knows that his fear is unrealistic and excessive. He’s been lucky enough to successfully avoid getting too close to dogs since he moved to Los Angeles – staying away from dog parks, crossing the street whenever there’s a dog in his direct line of sight and avoiding homes of friends who own a dog. Because all dogs are bad dogs.

He’s never told anyone about his fear (maybe except Ashley, who found out accidentally after bringing her fiance’s golden retriever to the studio once), the topic has never really come up in any conversation. Besides, looking like a loser who’s scared of dogs is something Tyler is definitely not interested in.

 

It’s completely normal when Brendon bursts into his house one day, yelling excitedly from the doorstep before the front door even closes behind him. Tyler unglues his eyes off TV with great difficulty and lazily turns his head towards the source of the voice when Brendon enters the living room with a big smile on his face. 

It’s a lazy day, meant for rotting on the couch all day and not picking up the phone. Even though Tyler is a workaholic, he sometimes needs a break to charge his batteries by watching brain-damaging TV shows and stuffing his mouth with unhealthy food. Brendon is aware of those days so the sight of his best friend sprawled on the couch in the worn out t-shirt and boxer shorts, with his hand buried deep inside a bag of potato chips is nothing unusual anymore.

„What?” Tyler asks, not even hiding his yawn.

„I said, I’ve finally found the love of my life!” 

„That would be the third one this month, Brendon.” Tyler rolls his eyes and focuses back on the TV screen, trying to figure out what’s the big deal about _Keeping Up With The Kardashians._

Lately, Brendon has been very persistent on finding himself a boyfriend and Tyler feels on the verge of losing his patience. It’s getting old, endlessly comforting the other man who goes out almost every night in the search of the new _victim_ that he brings back home and immediately calls _the one and only_. The romance usually ends after three or four days and Brendon spends most of the time complaining about his love life, sitting in Tyler’s kitchen and sniffing pathetically. Tyler is always there for him, rubbing his back and watching him lick chocolate ice-cream off the spoon, explaining that there’s plenty of other fish in the sea and he will finally find his significant other. Brendon always agrees with him and promises to stop being so desperate, yet the whole history repeats about two weeks later. Sometimes Tyler has to try really hard to talk himself out of slapping his best friend in the face.

Brendon glances towards the TV.

„I can’t believe you’re watching _this_!”

„I have no idea what the hell is going on.” Tyler mumbles under his breath. „I don’t even know which one is Kim and which one is Khloé.”

„This one is Kim.” Brendon points to the screen. „And you’re watching reruns.”

„How the heck would you know?” 

„Dude, I keep up with Kardashians better than with my own life.” The other man says and Tyler stares at him for a full minute before he blinks and takes a deep breath, reaching out for the remote and turning the TV off. 

„Right...”

„Anyway, I want you to meet her!”

„Meet who?” Tyler asks, shoving a handful of Lay’s in his mouth.

„The love of my life, obviously.”

„Her.” He repeats dumbly. „ _Her_? The last time I checked, you considered yourself gay.”

„She’s special.” Brendon grins. „Do you want to meet her or not?”

„Yeah, well… I-” Tyler stops, choking on the food and looks at him with wide eyes. „Oh my God. She’s here, isn’t she?”

„Yes.”

„Brendon!” The younger hisses, throwing the bag of chips aside and covering himself with a pillow. „You can’t just bring random girls to my house without telling me beforehand! I’m not even dressed!”

„Oh, I bet she won’t mind.” Brendon laughs, unzipping his jacket. „I’m telling you, dude. You’re not even ready for this.”

Tyler wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to meet _the girl_ and he definitely wasn’t ready for the shock that followed after Brendon reached somewhere under his armpit and... literally _took her out_. Of course. How could Tyler not notice the bulge under the jacket?

It takes a while before Tyler’s brain fully processes what he’s looking at and what is looking _at him_. It’s a dog. A black and white, tiny puppy with dark, round, slightly protruding eyes and black, wet nose. It easily fits in the palm of Brendon’s large hand. A _dog_. 

„Tyler, meet Penny.” Brendon grins. „I just came up with this name on the way here. It suits her, don’t you think? She’s eight weeks old and- Tyler?”

Tyler slides off the couch in the blink of an eye, falling to the floor with a thud and crawling away until he’s hidden behind the furniture. He presses his knees to his chest, wishing it was all just a bad dream. 

„No, no, no, no, no...” He mumbles under his breath.

„Tyler?” Brendon circles the couch and looks at Tyler, still holding Penny. The sight of the dog makes Tyler shift further away, whimpering and curling up in himself even more. He locks his arms around his head. „Dude, what’s wrong?”

„D-dog.” Tyler stutters out.

„Well… Yes, it’s a dog! Why-” Brendon quirks his eyebrow and the realization hits him a second later. „Don’t tell me you’re scared of a puppy! Dude, no way!” He snorts but stops as soon as he notices that Tyler is not joking. „Are you serious? Oh, gosh. You’re serious. Okay, wait. Wait.” Brendon backs off and disappears from Tyler’s sight. 

For a moment there’s nothing besides Brendon’s quiet voice in the distance, talking to Penny, telling her to stay. Tyler tries to calm himself down and control his breathing, he tries to count and repeat his own song lyrics just to distract himself. For the first time ever he's letting Brendon see him in such vulnerable state but his instincts are stronger than his pride.

When he finally snaps back into reality, there’s a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. He lifts his head and looks at Brendon who’s staring at him with a terrified expression on his face.

„Go a-ahead.” Tyler breaths out, letting his head fall back against the couch. „Laugh.” He says, rubbing his hands over his face. Suddenly, he feels exhausted. „I just had a panic attack because of a _fucking_ p-puppy. Isn’t it hilarious?” He laughs humorlessly and closes his eyes. He yelps when Brendon throws himself at him, wrapping him in a hug. 

„That was terrifying.” He mumbles against Tyler’s shoulder. „I’ve never seen a person having a panic attack before. I- I didn’t know what to do, I’m sorry.”

„It’s okay. There’s honestly not much you could do.” Tyler takes a deep breath and pats his back. „I’m okay now. Where is it?”

„Where is what?” Brendon asks, pulling away. He still looks distressed.

„The _dog_.”

„I put her inside your laundry basket so she wouldn’t get out. Tyler…” He hesitates. „What- What happened, what was that?” 

„Cynophobia.” 

„What?”

„It’s a type of phobia.” Tyler sighs. „I’m scared of dogs. Every breed, every size. I can’t help it, I’ve been like this since I remember. Even thinking of dogs makes me cringe and I’m really trying not to _think_ about _her_ still being under the same roof as me. If she barks or howls, there’s a high chance I will have another panic attack.”

„Shit.” Brendon’s hands fly to his hair and he nervously runs his fingers through it. „But… But it’s a puppy! The cutest creature you can lay your eyes on!”

„Still a dog.” 

„Do you want me to get rid of her?”

„ _Please_. I’m sorry, Bren.”

 

Later that day, Brendon comes back without the dog and Tyler tries his best to explain the whole cynophobia thing. Brendon nods in understanding, assuring Tyler that everything's alright and he would never think any less of him because of that. They watch another episode of _Keeping Up With Kardashians_ and stuff their mouths with popcorn. 

Tyler learns that the dog's full name is Penny Lane (because of Brendon’s obsession with The Beatles) and she's a Boston Terrier, that Brendon found out about her from his friend's Facebook and fell in love with her from the first sight, and that his heart broke when he read that Penny and her four other siblings were left for a certain death, tied up in a grain bag on the side of the road. 

After finding out about Tyler's phobia and since Tyler refuses therapy, Brendon decides to take the matter into his own hands. He doesn't make Tyler spend time with Penny - quite the opposite - he always makes sure that the dog is nowhere near Tyler. But he starts sending him silly texts with random breed information ( _did you know that boston terriers are highly intelligent and very easily trained?_ or _boston terrier is the first dog breed developed in America!_ or _awww, man! i just read that a boston terrier named Sergeant Stubby was a WWI hero!_ ) and updates about Penny ( _she just peed on my couch._ or _P. is having a nap!_ or _she's snoring worse than you_ ). 

Tyler almost has a heart attack when one day Brendon sends him a photo and a close-up picture of Penny's happy face pops up on the screen. He deletes is before his brain can realize how triggering it is. Brendon doesn't give up after that and sends him at least one photo of Penny per day. After some time, Tyler's curiosity takes the best of him and he actually _looks_ at one of the pictures. After zooming it in and out for the next ten minutes, he decides that Penny is indeed cute, although he still doesn't want to meet her _face to face_. It's a start. Tyler can admire her from afar.

But Brendon also calls him when he's freaking out over the most insignificant things, waking Tyler up in the middle of the night and informing him that Penny _just puked_ or _she looks sad, maybe she's sick_. Tyler has no idea how to handle dogs so usually he uses the same answer over and over again: _I don't know, Bren. I bet she will be fine_.

 

Getting phone calls in the middle of the night is nothing unusual anymore but still, it's pretty annoying. 

„Brendon...” Tyler groans, answering the call and rubbing a hand over his face. He looks at the digital clock. „It’s two in the morning. If this is about Penny again, I’ll fucking strangle you.”

„I'm not Brendon.” The voice on the other side of the line says. „But I'm with him.”

„Who’s this?” Tyler sits up, pressing the phone even closer to his ear.

„I found your friend. Look, he really needs help.”

„Is this a joke?”

„I wish it was. He got beaten up.” The voice sighs. „Can you come and get him? He's pretty drunk. I can't take him home because he doesn't want to tell me where he lives. He only told me to call _TyJo_. You're the only one _TyJo_ saved on his contact list so I guess I reached the right person?”

„Yeah, yeah. That's me.” Tyler says and gets out of the bed. „Can you stay with him until I get there? I don’t want him to wander off.”

„Sure, dude.” 

„Thanks. Let me get dressed. Oh, and text me the address or just, I don’t know, send me your location.”

Tyler ends the call and grabs his skinny jeans and a hoodie. He finishes putting his shoes on when his phone dings with the new text message. He groans when he sees the address - the club is not that close. _Give me 20 minutes_ , he texts back, realizing that the ride won’t be as long as he thought since there shouldn’t be any traffic at this time of the night.

It was too easy to predict that one of Brendon’s late night escapades would eventually end badly, especially because Brendon hasn’t got any filters or inhibitions when it comes to flirting with people when he’s drunk. Tyler has seen him do it too many times now. 

He reaches his destination exactly twenty-five minutes after starting the engine of his car. He finds the last free spot in the parking lot and quickly walks to the front door of the club. He finally spots two men and immediately recognizes one of them as Brendon. He’s sitting on the ground with his back pressed to the wall, with the stranger standing right next to him, offering him a bottle of water.

Tyler drops to his knees in front of Brendon and puts his hand on his cheek. 

„Oh, gosh.” He whispers, inspecting the damage. There’s blood smeared under Brendon’s nose and Tyler already knows he got punched in the face. There’s a red spot on the front of Brendon’s expensive-looking button-down shirt and the left sleeve looks like it’s been used to wipe the blood from his face. „Bren? Hey, man, can you hear me?”

„Tyler?” The drunk man opens his eyes and blinks.

„Yes, it’s me. What happened?”

„Big... Yeah, so big. Huge. I'm tall, okay? But he was like... huuuge.” Brendon makes a sudden movement with his hands to demonstrate his point and almost hits Tyler in the face. „Muscular. Pretty. So pretty. Beautiful. But definitely straight. Definitely allergic to gays. He happened.”

„Hey, you. Have you seen anything?” Tyler turns around to look at the stranger who stands a few feet away. Tyler looks at him and his brain floods with every possible curse word he knows. It’s Josh. Of course, it’s Josh because that’s Tyler Joseph’s luck. He stands there with his eyes wide open and slightly shocked expression on his face. Tyler takes a deep breath. „Or maybe I should ask, have you taken any _pictures_?” He hisses.

„I was just walking by. I found him like this.” Josh says. „I wanted to help.”

„Sure.” Tyler snaps. 

„Look, he was sitting here with blood on his face, unmoving. I thought he was dead. I don't freaking know who he is and I don't care if he's your buddy from your freaking celebrity world. But he's a human being. And he was hurt.” The pink-haired man spits out with a hint of annoyance in his voice. „I don't know about you but when _I_ see a person who is hurt, I try to help.” He says and takes two steps back. „You know what? Whatever! I don't have time for this crap. Have fun taking him home.” He flips Tyler off, turns on his heel and quickly walks away. 

„Did he just s-say he doesn't know who I am?” Brendon looks up and frowns.

„Yeah. Sorry.”

„I'm a rock star!”

„Yes, I know, come on. Let’s get you home.” Tyler helps him stand up and throws Brendon’s arm over his shoulder. 

„I'm Brendon Urie!” The older yells and a few heads turn into their direction.

„Yes, yes, you are. But if you don't want pictures of your bloodied face to end up on the TMZ homepage or any other shitty tabloid tomorrow, you need to shut up and we have to move.” Tyler says, hooks his arm around Brendon's waist and drags him away from the club. „Come on. Cooperate. My car is just around the corner.”

 

Brendon empties the contents of his stomach in the middle of the parking lot and Tyler prays to God, silently begging Him to stop his friend from throwing up in the car. During the ride back home, Brendon falls asleep and Tyler realizes that he can’t take him to his apartment since Penny is there, waiting for her owner to get back home. He changes the route and drives to his own house. 

Getting Brendon out of the car and into the house becomes a whole new challenge but Tyler manages to lead him inside and sit him down on the closed toilet lid in the bathroom. He cleans his face and Brendon looks a little bit more awake.

„Do you think it’s broken?” Tyler asks, inspecting his nose.

„I don’t think so?” Brendon touches his face and winces. „It hurts but I don’t think it’s f- facu- fu- fractured! That’s the word!”

„Right. Okay, I guess we will see in the morning.”

Tyler leads him to the guest bedroom, helps him undress and climb under the covers. He leans down to tuck him in when suddenly two hands grab the front of his hoodie and pull him down. And suddenly, there's no air in his lungs because Brendon kisses him on the mouth. Tyler tries to pull off but Brendon is passionate in his affections and brings Tyler even closer by the back of his neck. Tyler rolls his eyes and pushes on Brendon's chest as hard as he can, pinning him to the bed. He takes a deep breath when his lips are finally free. 

„Brendon.” He says firmly. „You don't really want this.”

„I do!” Brendon whines. „I fucking love you, man. You're my friend. My best friend! I love you.”

„Yes. I love you too. But you're not my type, I'm sorry.”

„You are such a dick. I'm Brendon Urie. I'm everyone's type!”

„Apparently not.”

Brendon huffs and uses the moment of distraction against Tyler. He pulls him down again and attacks his lips in a few quick pecks. 

„Kiss me back, you bastard!”

„You're drunk.” Tyler says patiently, putting his hand on his friend's mouth. „You will regret this in the morning.” Brendon mumbles something angrily from behind Tyler's hand. „What?”

„I'm not as think as you drunk I am. Just kiss me back.” He demands.

„No.”

„Once.”

„No.”

„Please?”

„Why?”

„Because I wanted to get laid tonight and I didn't succeed.”

„Well, sorry to break it to you but you won't get laid _with me_.” Tyler rolls his eyes.

„Bad news. But you can kiss me.”

„Brendon.”

„ _Tyler_.”

The younger man sighs.

„I really hope you won't remember this in the morning.” He says and leans in, kissing Brendon on the corner of the mouth. 

Brendon moves his head, locking their mouths properly and Tyler deepens the kiss, reaches his hand to the other man’s cheek and strokes the skin. He opens his mouth and their tongues meet for a moment. Tyler pulls away, pecks Brendon’s lips one last time and pushes him back against the pillows, covering him with blankets. 

„Thanks.” Brendon mumbles, closing his eyes.

„Yeah. You're welcome. Now, sleep.”

Tyler wipes his mouth and leaves the bedroom. He brings a glass of water and two painkillers to the room and puts them on the bedside table. He glances at Brendon and smiles, shaking his head. He turns off the lamp and leaves the room, cleans up the bathroom and goes back to his own bed.


	5. Chapter 5

„ _Oh my- Oh my God..._ ”

Tyler snorts under his breath and puts two slices of bread in the toaster. He grabs a jar of strawberry jam from the fridge and leans against the counter, shoving a spoonful into his mouth. He listens to the disgusting sound of vomiting and loud moans of pain coming from the bathroom. 

By the time Brendon enters the kitchen with an empty glass in his hand, Tyler is almost finished with his breakfast. The toasts are gone but Tyler can’t stop himself from eating the rest of the jam straight from the jar. The older man stops next to the table and frowns. He stares at Tyler for a long moment, then he looks down at the glass and up at Tyler again. He blinks a couple of times, rubs his eyes and hisses in pain when his hand accidentally touches his nose. 

Tyler licks the spoon clean and after rinsing the empty jar (out of habit), he throws it into the recycling bin under the sink. He crosses the kitchen and stands right in front of the other man, inspecting the damage on his face. His nose is a little bit swollen and there’s a bruise right above his cheekbone, close to the eye. 

„That’s one ugly bruise but you will live.”

„ _You’re_ ugly.” Brendon retorts childishly but then sways on his feet, collapses into the nearest chair and buries his head in his hands. „What the fuck happened?” He groans loudly, rubbing his forehead. „What am I doing here and why was I sleeping in your bed?”

„You don’t remember?” 

„I wouldn’t ask if I remembered, would I?”

„You’re such a pain in the ass when you’re hungover, you know? Your boyfriend-hunting mission went slightly wrong.” Tyler says, refilling Brendon’s glass with water. „You had too much to drink and got punched in the face. _Some guy_ used your phone to call me and he asked me to pick you up from the club. I brought you here because I didn’t feel like meeting your dog.”

„Penny is at my mom’s this week.” Brendon says and gulps down the whole glass of water in one go.

„So you’re saying that I could simply dump you at your place instead of dragging you all the way to my house? Great.” Tyler huffs. „Maybe I would avoid some unwanted kissing if I did.”

Brendon looks up slowly with fear in his eyes and Tyler raises his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest and giving him the best _what? you don’t remember?_ look. He tries to act as offended as possible and almost loses it when the horror on the other man’s face grows more and more with every second. He loves teasing Brendon even if sometimes it comes out meaner than he intends to. 

„What are you talking about?” Brendon asks. „What do you mean kiss- Oh God. _Oh my God!_ I did something stupid last night, didn’t I? Fuck! I’m sorry, Tyler, I’m so sorry!”

Tyler bursts out laughing.

„It’s fine. It’s fine, I’m just messing with you. It was kind of funny, watching you being so desperate. But you’re a good kisser so… I’m not mad. Just don’t do it again.” He says, amused. „Oh, anyway. I’ve put your shirt in the washing machine this morning but I’m not sure if the blood stains will come off. I should have done it right after we got back but I was too knackered to think about doing laundry in the middle of the night.”

„It’s just a shirt, dude. Don’t worry about it.”

„Well, it looks pretty expensive to me.”

„Is it the white button-down?”

„Yeah?” Tyler frowns.

„With black buttons?”

„Yes?”

„Have I really ruined my favorite Dolce&Gabbana shirt!?” Brendon yells, standing up. „I need to lay down.” He shuffles to the living room and flops face-down onto the couch. Tyler winces at the moan that escapes the older man’s throat when his nose collides with the pillow. „Ow, shit, that hurt. I’m never drinking again, I swear to God. _Never_.”

„Sorry, sweetheart but I don’t believe you. Not one bit.” Tyler laughs, shaking his head. „Anyway. Breakfast?”

„If you want me to vomit all over your living room floor, sure. Can I stay here? I need a few more hours of sleep.”

„Of course. I’m having lunch with Ashley today but it shouldn’t be long and if you want to stay we can make something for dinner later when you feel better.”

„Sounds good.” Brendon mumbles, on the verge of falling asleep. Tyler grabs a blanket and throws it over the other man. „Thanks.” He sighs and before Tyler can say anything, his friend is out like a light.

 

Tyler spends the next couple of hours working in the studio. Before he makes his way to the basement, he lowers the blinds so the sun wouldn’t irritate Brendon. Being hungover isn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world and dealing with a grumpy friend isn’t his favorite thing to do.

For the first hour he does nothing except for listening to the finished version of his record from the first to the last song. He has to decide which song he wants to release as his next single and discuss the choice with Ashley. He’s proud of himself. He knows that he put his whole heart into making this album and he doesn’t regret writing any of these songs. He’s still growing and he’s still learning but if the fans like the sound, he knows he’s doing a good job. His previous single is still holding one of the highest places in the international charts and he knows it’s time to _attack_ the radio stations with another one.

As much as he loves working in the studio, he can’t wait for the tour to start. Tyler loves live music, he loves interacting with people, watching their reactions, listening when they sing along with him. It makes him feel alive. 

When it’s almost time to leave the house, he goes upstairs, takes a quick shower and changes into clean clothes. He chats with Brendon for a while, who’s now sitting wide awake and scrolling mindlessly through his Twitter feed. 

 

The sound of the doorbell is unexpected. Tyler locks his eyes with Brendon, shrugs and turns to the door, putting on his jacket in the meantime. He doesn’t expect anyone and he knows that Ashley wouldn’t change her plans and show up unannounced. And she definitely wouldn’t give up on their business date in one of their favorite restaurants.

He makes his way through the hallway and looks through the peephole. He doesn't even try to hide his surprise when he sees Dallon standing on the doorstep.

„Uhm. Hi, Tyler.” Dallon says awkwardly and scratches the back of his neck. „Is- Is Brendon here? Because he's not in his apartment and I’ve heard that he spends a lot of time with you these days, so...”

„What do you want?” Tyler asks harshly.

„I want to talk to Brendon.”

„About what?”

„I want to apologize.”

Tyler's eyebrows instantly shot up. 

„Apologize?”

„Yeah… Look, I acted like an asshole, okay? And Sarah- It’s all her fault, really. I know I was wrong. Can I- Can I see him? Please.”

Tyler hesitates for a long moment but then he sighs, takes a step back and opens the door to let Dallon in. The other man politely takes his shoes off and waits for the permission to walk further inside the house.

„He's in the living room. You know the way.”

Dallon nods and slowly moves in the direction of the living room. Tyler follows him, of course he does - there’s no way he’s gonna leave them alone in his house and let them kill each other if something goes wrong. Dallon halts to stop and after taking a look at Brendon, he lets out a gasp.

The other man looks over his shoulder and his eyes widen. He abandons his phone and gets to his feet, immediately backing away to the furthest corner of the room. He gains his confidence back after he notices that Tyler is standing right behind Dallon. Tyler gives him an assuring nod.

„W-what do you want?” Brendon asks in a shaky voice.

„What on earth happened to your face?”

Brendon ignores him. He repeats the question.

„What do you want?”

„I want to talk.”

„Talk?” Brendon laughs and Tyler sees that he’s trying to mask his fear and hurt. „About what? Do you want to tell me how much of a disgusting fag I am? Or how you don't want to be my bassist anymore?”

„I came here to tell you that I am sorry.”

„What?”

„I am sorry, Brendon.”

„You. Are sorry.”

„Yes.” Dallon nods.

„What for? Calling me a fag, a sinner, threatening to kill me for coming too close to you and your family or...?”

„Everything. For everything.” The tall man sighs and rubs his hands over his face. „I was scared, okay? I should never have listened to Sarah. She was hurt by the rejection and she was saying all those mean things... She made up so many lies and she made me believe her. She manipulated me! I’m sorry for the things I said, I swear to God, I don’t care if you’re gay or not.”

„It's not fucking contagious, Dallon!” Brendon yells suddenly. „You can't catch it like a cold! You won't turn into a gay man by simply sitting in the same room and breathing the same air as me! And it's not like I will molest you in your fucking sleep.” He says. „You're fucking married, Dallon. You're straight and you have kids and I respect that. I wish you could respect that I am not straight. I like who I like and I’m sorry, I can't change that. Everyone fucking abandoned me, Dallon! Everyone except Tyler. You, of all people, abandoned me because you believed her! I thought you were better than that. I just- I just want a friend. Okay? The least you can do is be my fucking friend.”

At the same exact moment, Dallon steps forward. Tyler notices how hard Brendon flinches and closes his eyes, probably waiting for a punch. The punch never comes and Tyler sighs in relief. Instead, Dallon wraps his arms around his friend and presses their chests together. 

Brendon freezes but when the first shock passes, he returns the hug, putting his hands on Dallon's back and fisting the material of his shirt. He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against the taller man's shoulder. He starts shaking and Dallon arms tighten around him when the first sob leaves his body. Before Tyler knows it, they’re both crying, never letting go of each other. Dallon hushes him, repeating quiet apologies and rocking him in his arms until Brendon calms down again. 

Tyler steps back, giving them more privacy. He knows he will be definitely late for the meeting if he doesn’t leave the house now but he doesn’t care. His friend’s well-being is more important than releasing his next single on time. He gives them twenty minutes before entering the living room again and the sight makes him smile. He finds them on the couch, talking quietly. A shy smile on Brendon's lips tells him that it's okay to leave the house and let them talk as long as they need.

Friendship with Dallon has always been a big deal for Brendon. They've been inseparable since Tyler became a part of their _squad_ and he used to feel a sting of jealousy about not having what Brendon and Dallon had. He has grown up since then and even if he considers Brendon his best friend now, he knows he wasn't there first and somehow he doesn't mind sharing him with the bassist. Tyler knows that Brendon won't abandon him after all they've gone through just because he has Dallon back. 

 

Lunch with Ashley goes smoothly. They eat their meals, choose a song, Tyler signs a stack of papers and before he knows it, Ashley grabs her things, quickly throws everything inside her big red Gucci bag and almost runs out of the restaurant, mumbling something about being late for another important meeting in another location. 

Tyler finishes his lemonade and pays for their lunch (like he always does). He decides to pick up some groceries on his way back so he drives to Walmart, trying to create a mental list of all the things he needs to buy. As much as he loves to eat cereal or peanut butter sandwiches five times a day, he has to eat _normal_ , healthy food as well and right now the contains of his fridge are not something he can be proud of. 

He parks his car, slips his phone into the pocket of his jeans and reaches to the glovebox for his wallet. When he straightens up again, someone walks past his car. It shouldn’t seem like some extraordinary situation - especially since he’s sitting in his car in Walmart’s parking lot – but the moment he sees the person, he recognizes their face and pink hair, sticking out from under his snapback.

Josh approaches an old silver Honda parked in another row and fishes the key out of his pocket. He opens the car and carelessly throws a bag of groceries inside the trunk. He closes it with a loud thud and glances at his watch, checking the time. He sighs and climbs into the driver's seat, starts the car and pulls out of his spot. 

Before Tyler can change his mind, he abandons the idea of getting any groceries. He starts his own car and follows Josh out of the parking lot. For a moment he hesitates, realizing that his new shiny Porsche is not the best car for spying on anyone but then remembers that this is Los Angeles - there are cars like his everywhere. 

He drives at a normal pace and tries to keep a safe distance between their cars, not wanting to seem suspicious. 

„This is the _stupidest_ thing I’ve ever done.” He hisses to himself, turning left when Josh does the same.

After driving for another ten minutes, the neighborhood becomes more and more familiar. When Josh finally stops his car, Tyler realizes that they’re in the hospital’s parking lot, the same one where he came to visit Chloe a few weeks ago. He watches the other man, who climbs out of his car and almost runs to the hospital. Tyler curses under his breath and tries to catch up with the pink-haired guy but Josh is faster. By the time Tyler enters the main hall of the hospital, Josh is nowhere to be seen. 

He looks around and lets out a huff of breath in irritation. Josh could take the stairs, he could take the elevator. There are three wings and five floors in this building and looking for Josh would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

He doesn’t know what he’s trying to achieve by this. Every other person would simply forget about Josh but there’s something so intriguing about the man that Tyler wants to get to know him and his story. There’s obviously something wrong – either with him or someone close to him. Every time Tyler sees him, Josh looks tired, disheveled and stressed. 

Tyler hates him. At least he thinks he does... But does he really? Josh hasn’t done anything wrong, except that one time when he invaded Tyler’s privacy by breaking into his backyard. But that’s his job, Tyler is famous and he should be prepared for dealing with strange situations that involve paparazzi. And what about that one time when he found Brendon and asked Tyler to come and get him? Josh could leave him there, he could take photos and use them against Brendon but he didn’t do it. He waited with him until Tyler arrived, he made sure that Brendon was okay. But instead of saying _thank you_ , Tyler snapped at him. 

Tyler doesn’t even know him. Is it even possible to hate someone you don’t know? He’s seen Josh four times and spoke to him twice. And are those pangs of conscience he’s experiencing?

He sighs and walks back to his car. His phone rings and when he takes it out of his pocket, he notices Brendon’s name flashing on the screen. 

„Hey, boo. What’s up?” He asks but stops listening after the first three words leave Brendon’s mouth because at the same time, Josh runs back to his car and quickly climbs inside. _What the fuck is going on_ , Tyler wonders and suddenly remembers that Brendon is still on the other side of the line. „Look, Bren... This is not the good time, I will call you back when-”

„Did you even listen to anything I just told you!?” Brendon nothing but yells into his ear.

„No, sorry, I got distracted.” Tyler says, watching Josh’s car. „But really-”

„Tyler, for fuck’s sake, as I said: there’s a guy - high as a kite - standing on your doorstep, demanding to speak with you and I’m _this_ close to calling the police. And Dallon is _this_ close to punching him in the face!”

„Wait, what?” 

„He said he knows you, mumbled something about being _brothers_ but he’s so delirious, dude, I’m surprised he’s still able to stand.” Brendon says and Tyler groans, rubbing his face with his free hand. „Do you want me to call the police?” 

„No. Let him in.” Tyler sighs and watches as Josh leaves the parking lot and drives away. He doesn’t try to follow him. „I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, huh? Sorry for being MIA. 
> 
> My life is pretty hectic at the moment and I'm not in the right mindset to write. I've been hit with this bad case of writer's block, I have some serious health problems and I'm moving abroad on Tuesday so believe me, it's CHAOS.
> 
> I promise, I'm not abandoning this and I'm not abandoning _Sweet Creature_. I just need a little bit more time to put my life into a proper order and then I will start writing again.
> 
> I hope everyone is doing okay ♥


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